A government working group initially discussed ways of helping such people and it proposed adopting a special law.
Government Vice Chancellor Deividas Matulionis, who chaired the group, told BNS Lithuania the Ministry of Foreign Affairs came up with the idea to better regulate the assistance to people relocated to Lithuania after the ministry received calls for help from Venezuela hit by an economic crisis.
Up until now Lithuania has helped people of Lithuanian origin from Ukraine’s war-hit regions but has done that without a special law since a government order allowed that.
The new law would define the special status of relocated persons and they could expect to receive financial support and integration assistance for up to 18 months.
“The government will likely to back the amendments in the fall and then the Seimas will decide. Under the proposal, the law would come into effect on July 1 but we could make it on January 1 if we hurry up,” Matulionis said.
157 people used the opportunity to move to Lithuania from Ukraine, figures from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs show.